Ive seen that deltec piece of garbage before plenty of times:
http://www.theaquariumsolution.com/deltec-pinwheel-vs-meshwheel
Ive seen people post that as if its a valid reference or something. And I have responded to it the same every time as well. To those that have worked with meshwheels, they will see right through that propaganda. A few of those points arent even true, and they make me believe that all they did was make a meshwheel for one of their pumps (a bad one at that), record the results, and then make loads of factual statements based on that one attempt.
The short version: Its a load of crap. Most likely marketing to prevent every Jim-Bob out there from just cutting up a pump impeller and making their own skimmer pump with mesh.
The long version:
Algae and other detritus gets caught in almost ANY type of impeller, mesh, pinwheel, blades, etc. If anything, all that it will do is act as yet another type of 'blender' along with all those other pins or mesh strands. Does it really matter? And if it does, then the same problem comes up with pinwheels... I have to clean my pinwheel once every month or so because bits and such get caught in there anyways. If anything, the dense mesh prevents larger things like chunks of carbon and such from sticking around since the mesh tends to have alot more 'give' as far as releasing large chunks (like stray carbon). Its structure, being that much more dense, prevents large chunks from getting in there for the most part anyways. In my observations, the mesh after 6 months did get a couple small bits of plastic shavings (DIY stuff), maybe a hair or two, which if anything, boosted performance...lol. The pinwheel, to date, needs almost monthly cleaning because SOMETHING gets in there... a colonista snail, chunks of carbon, phosguard, etc. And unlike mesh, it wont just shake itself out.
As far as the uniformity of the mesh... this is true... mesh does vary alot more, esp when you are doing it by hand, one bit at a time. If you use a standardized method for cutting it, you can get pretty consistent with the results though. And as far as varying performance goes, is there really a complaint to be made? So you mean that you are going to complain that there is maybe a 10% variation, so you dont want to use it even though it is most likely anywhere from a 20-50% boost in air output depending on the pump? Oh, yeah, its inconsistent, who cares that it still blows a pinwheel out of the water... that inconsistency stuff is just too much to deal with!
Mesh is better at balancing itself than many pinwheels FWIW. Guys like Klaus use CNC made pinwheels because they know that injection molded ones can have inconsistent densities and cause problems with noise, heat, etc. And if you do get a defective pinwheel, thats it, you need another. Mesh, due to it becoming a gyro, actually balances itself after a week of use usually. You know that science experiment where you hold a spinning bike tire between your hands and then try to turn it, right? As those who use meshwheels, and Im sure they will back it up. Mesh is self-balancing... it just needs a little time when you first start the skimmer to right itself.
Oh, and the part about the maximum air and water, thats just bull as well. I can tell what they did... they made a meshwheel that was too small... moved more air and less water (still, many companies claim that the ideal ratio is 1:1, which as of yet, no pump has come close to... usually they are still 3:1 or 2:1 water to air at best). The truth is, a meshwheel, when done right, will more air AND water, in almost the same proportion as a pinwheel... just more. That also explains the 'thermal switch' thing as well... most meshwheels run closer to the original pump's specs (if it were run as a normal water pump) than pinwheels. What that tells me, as well as their comments about air/water ratio, is that they just didnt make it right.
When you make a meshwheel, add as much mesh as you can (within reason here), and see if the pump starts. If it sputters from too much material, cut the material back in thickness and diameter until the pump can start on its own underwater (without having to blow on it). This should be your ideal amount of mesh. Sure, some people go beyond this and put so much on that the pump needs air to be force fed to start, and chances are that the pump will be running even closer to original spec (wattage, power factor), but then you take the risk that if your power goes out, you can put some serious wear on the pump until someone notices and blows some air in there.
If you compare the wattages and power factors of most meshwheels compared to pinwheels, you will find that the meshwheels run at a higher RMS wattage... and a higher power factor. This means less wear on the pump, less wasted electricity(heat and carbonate buildup), etc. Some meshwheels can get their wattages as high as the original water-only version of the pump, which is a good thing actually!
Think about it, if Deltec concluded that a custom made $100 pinwheel impeller wasnt needed and that mesh, which anyone can do with most pumps, is all you need...
Mfg's have claimed before that 'certain things cant be done', yet they can, and that should tell you something.
Klaus from Royal Exclusiv said that a cone skimmer couldnt go over 2000lph... yet the new pumps for ATB break the 2000lph mark and do just fine.
ATI claimed that a 'bubble sphere' (rather than the usual hockey puck) was tried, and it didnt work. Well, thats odd, because I have one that works great.
I won't be surprised if I see a Bubble Hahnmeister with mesh impeller pumps hitting the market pretty soon!! Unsubsribing from this thread because the purpose of it was for Premium Aquatics to have them in stock and they do have the mesh now.
